Can washing machine



July 4, 1933. l.. J. WILLIAMS 1,916,595

CAN WASHING MACHINE Filed Nov.V l5, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet l 5 Sheets-Sheet2 Filed Nov. l5, 1929.

July 4, 1933. 1 J. WILLIAMS CAN WASHING MACHINE Filed Nov. 13, 1929 3Sheets-Sheet 3 .o .L Q n .w il! C l. H! \IH w 1W W- N r MR f\ ,r k r dvl., il w l lvl 11:1 1 il t wk m .1| Ir Patented July 4, 1933UNiTEDsTATEs PATENT-OFFICE f i LESTER J. W'ILLIAJMIIS,v OF CANASTOTA, llEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO CARL BRAUN INC., GANASTOTA, NEW' YBK, ACORPORATIGNOld1 NEV YORK lso Yeen WASHING MACHINE Application filed November 13,1923.

` to new and improved means for supplying cans andfcovers to av washersuch as that shown in said application.

The principal object isto provide conveying or feeding mechanism whichmay be connected with the feeding mechanism of the sterilizer and may-belocated in a receiving room, so that cans may be received and handled inthe receiving room and placed on the present feed mechanism and byitautoi matically advanced to the sterilizer; and fur-- ther to so arrangethe feed mechanism that it may be moved to an inactive position, leavingthe sterilizing machine free lat its receiving end for placing cans andcovers directly therein when the cans are not handled in the receivingroom. The invention is in one aspect thus designed to comply withsanitary regulations kin certain localities, Whichprovide that city milkcans cannot be washed in a machine installed in a receiving room,although country cans may be washed or handled in such a room, Myinvention, including means for carrying out the objects just abovestated, enables suchregulations to be complied with, since country cansmay be drained or otherwisehandled in the receiving room and 'placed onthe present feed mechanism therein, and .by it automatically advanced tothe washer or sterilizer located in its own room or compartment; andwhen handling city cans, the feed mechanism (or a movable part of it)may be moved yback into the receiving room, or away from the receivingend vof the sterilizer, and the cansV handled yonly in thesterilizingroom or compartmentand placed directly in the sterilizer. Thecharacteristicsvand advantages of the invention are furthersuiiicientely explained in connection with the following detaildescription of the accompanying drawings, which show representativeembodiments. After considering these examples, skilled persons willunderstand that many variations may be made without departing from theprinciples disclosed, and I contemplate the employment of any structuresthat are properly within the scope of the'appended claims. .Figure 1 isa diagrammatic side elevation of'apparatus embodying the invention invone form;

Serial No. 406,733.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the feed mechanism in one operativeposition or conditie-n in relation to the sterilizing machine, thereceiving end of which is shown;

3 is a plan view; f

F ig. el is a side elevation,-enlarged, showing principally cover feedslides, connections, etc.; and

F 5 is a detail, in side elevation, of a modification, providing for thehinging orv movable mounting of the feed mechanism :at the floor level.-

In ylfigs. 1 sterilizing machine of the type disclosed in the abovementioned application. It includes a frame 11, a portion 12 of which atthe front or receiving end is arranged to receive the cans and coverswhich rest on guideA rails 13, 14. The cans, in inverted position areadvanced on the trackway includingy the vrails 13, this being the lowertraclrway in the plan view, Fig.l 3, by pawls 15 pivotally mounted onreciprocating bars or slides 16; and the covers are placed on rails 14and advanced by pawls which are not shown, but are similar to thecover-advancing pawls -of the present feed mechanism andare mountedr ona reciprocating bar or slide 17. rlhe slides 16 are located practicallyat the level of the top frame members 18, Fig. 1, andthe slide 17 islocatedv in an upper position above its corresponding cover-supportingrails. The details of the feed mechanism of the sterilizer proper 10,means for operating the slides, washing or scrubbing mechanism withinthe housing', and means for discharging the cans and covers7 are fullyexplained in the application above mentioned. y

ln the preferred arrangement of a dairy or other depot in which. cansare handled, the sterilizer is located adjacent a receiving room 2Owhich preferably has a ioor 21v located at a level above that of floor22 of the sterilizing room, or compartment in which the sterilizer islocated, this elevated floor being convenient for receiving` cans ofcertain classes from trucks or wagons at the left of ig. 1. Thisarrangement leaves a space Q3 v between the receiving room and thereceiving and 2, 10 is a can washing or the present feed mechanism isarranged to cooperate with the just-described arrangement of sterilizerand receiving room. The feed mechanism diagrammatically indicated at30'in Fig. 1 and shown in detail in Figs.

2 and 5, comprises longitudinal side frame members 31 and 32 connectedby various cross members such as 33, Fig. 3. A part of the feedmechanism, represented by the part supported by the frame members 31, islocated in the receiving room and is supported on the floor thereof bylegs 34. Another portion of the feed mechanism, carried by the framemembers 32, extends from the frame members 31 to the sterilizingmachine, the frame members 32 being provided with plates 35 having lugsor hooks 36 engaging a cross bar 37 on the forward or receiving` frameportion l2 of the sterilizer. The frame members 32 are hingedlyconnected at 38 to the members 31, so that the entire frame sectionrepresented by the members 32 may be swung up to an inactive position,away from the sterilizer, and preferably into the receiving room 20, ormay be placed in active position to 'feed cans and covers to thesterilizer as shown in Fig. 2, the frame members 32 being then alignedwith similar side frame members of the sterilizer.

The frame members of the feed mechanism support rails 13 for can supportand other rails 14 for cover support, corresponding to the similairailsof the sterilizer and aligned therewith, when the frame section 32 is inactive position. The can feed mechanism also includes slidescorresponding to the slides 16 of the steriliaer and arranged forreciprocation and for detachable connection to the sterilizer slides,and the cover feed portion of the feed mechanism also includes a centralelevated slide corresponding to slides 17 of the sterilizer and arrangedfor releasable connection thereto. ln the particular arrangement shownin Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the various slides of the feed mechanism arearticulated, to permit a folding action corresponding to the foldingmovement of the frame section 32 when the feed mechanism is inactive.Thus, the can body feed slides consist of members 40 and 41 hingedlyconnected at 42, and the cover slide consists of members 43 and 44hingedly connected at 45, and supported in guides in frame-uprights 44a.To fold the feed frame, the slides 40 and 41 may be so positioned thattheir hinges 42 are substantially above the hinge 33 connecting framemembers 31 and 32; and the slide section 44 may be folded back upon theslide 43 as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, thus admitting the upward swingingof the feeder frame to an inactive position when the receiving room 20has a low ceiling or when its doorway 200! is low. The slide section 44may be secured in this inactive position by clamp or clip 46.

For the connection of the feeder slides to the sterilizer slides whenthe feeder is in active condition, the can body slides 41 of the .theswing bolts maybe engaged with the brackets and the feeder' slides willthen be operated by the sterilizer slides. Similarly, the cover feedingslide section 44 has a swing bolt 50 to engage with a clevised lugl onthe forward end of the sterilizer slide 17, whereupon the cover feedmechanism of the feeder will be operated from the sterilizer. The swingbolts or other equivalent connections may be easily disconnectedV torelease the feeder slides from the sterilizer slides when the feeder isto be placed in inactive position. The various feeder slide sections areprovided with pawls which may be identical in arrangement and operationto the corresponding can and cover feed pawls of the sterilizer as abovereferred to. Thus, the feeder slides 40 and 41 carry horizontal pawls 15corresponding to the pawls 15 ofthe sterilizer, and the cover feedingslide sections 43 and 44 of the feeder have depending cover feedingpawls 52 which may be identical with the cover feed pawls of thesterilizer, carried by the sterilizer slide 17 and not` here shown, butfully shown and described in the above identied application.

Figs. 2 and 3 show the feed mechanism in active position except forconnection of the can body slides to those of the sterilizer, and exceptfor the swinging forward of the cover slide section 44 and connection tothe sterilizer slide 17. The mode of connection of these members issufficiently explained above, and as to the cover slide connection, thisis shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4.

To place the feed mechanism in inactive position, the slides aredisconnected; slide Y section 44 is placed in folded position, Figs. 2and 4, the can body slides 41 are moved to position their hingeconnections 42 above the frame hinges 38, and the frame is tilted up toinactive position away from the sterilizer and handling space'23, andusually within the receiving room; and cans may then be received andhandled in the receiving space 23 directly to the sterilizer inaccordance with regulations.

Fig. 1 shows a modification in which an entire feed mechanism maybeswung up into the receiving room, without requiring foldable connectionof its frame or slide members, the receiving room or its doorway 20u!being arranged or dimensioned'to permit this arrangement of the feedmechanism. In this case, the side frame members 31 of the feeder 30 maybe continuous and not articulated and may be supported at their-endremote from the sterilizer on the legs 60V which are pivotally connectedto floor brackets 61 within the receiving room. f

When the feed mechanism is in active position and connected to thesterilizer, cans of c-ertain classes may be received directly` in thereceiving room, handled therein and placed on the feed mechanism andautomatically fed into and from the sterilizer without other handling,as will be obvious from the preceding description.

I claim:

l. The combination with a sterilizing device for cans and covers havinga reciproeating slide for advancing the cans and a reciprocating memberlocated above the can advancing slides for advancing the covers, withauxiliary mechanism for useat the end of the can'and cover sterilizingdevice comrising` a reci orocatinV slide havinr a hinged V D b Dconnection to permit the remote end of the slide to vbe swungvertically, one end ofthe slide member having means for connecting theslide of the auxiliary mechanism to the slide of the can advancingdevice and a slide arranged above the can advancing slides for advancingthe covers, the cover advancing slide being hinged to fold upon itselfand Vhaving means to connect the cover advancing slide of the auxiliarymechanism and the cover advancing slide of the sterilizer, the coveradvancing slide having a plurality of dependent pivotally swinging coverengaging members and the can slides having a plurality of horizontallydisposed can engaging members projecting toward each other and pivotallymounted on the slides to advance the cans. i

2. The combination with a sterilizing device for cans and covers havingreciprocating slides for advancing the cans and a reciprocating memberlocated above the can advancing slides for advancing the covers, withauxiliary mechanism for use at the end of the can and cover sterilizingdevice, comprising reciprocating slides arranged parallel to each other,each of the slide members having hinged connections opposite each otherto permit the remote end of the slides to be swung vertically, one endof` eachV of the slide members having means for connecting the slides ofthe auxiliary mechanism to the slides of the can advancing device, saidmeans comprising swing bolts and clevised lugs, and a slide arrangedabove the can advancing slide for advancing the covers, the coveradvancing slide being hinged 'to fold upon itself and having means toconnect the cover advancing slide of the sterilizer, com- .Y

of horizontally disposed can engaging members projecting toward eachother and pivotally mounted on the slides to advance the cans.

3. The combination with a sterilizing device for cans and covers havingreciprocating slides for advancing the cans and a reciprocating memberlocated above the can advancing slides for advancing the covers, withauxiliary mechanism for use at the end of the can and cover sterilizingdevice, comprising reciprocating slides arranged parallel to each otherand supported on frame members, the frame members being hinged and eachof the slide members having hinged connections opposite each other topermit the remote end of the slides to be swung vertically, the hingedconnections of the slides being located above the hinged connection ofthe frame, one end of each of the slide members having means forconnecting the slides of the auxiliary mechanism to the slides of thecan advancing device, said means comprising swing bolts and clevisedlugs, and a slide arranged above the can advancing slide for'advancingthe covers, the last named slide being supported on a frame connected tothe frame supporting the can slides, the cover advancing slide beingvhinged to fold upon itself and having means to connect the coveradvancing slide of the auxiliary mechanism and the cover advancing slideof the sterilizer, comprising a swing bolt and clevised lug, the coverdevice having a reciprocating membery having a plurality of can engagingmembers disposed along its length for advancing the cans, and means forsupporting the member with auxiliary mechanism foruse at the end of thecan sterilizing device, comprising a reciprocating slide having a hingedconnection to permit the remote e-nd of the slide to be swungvertically, means for supporting and guiding the slide, one endof theslide member having means for connecting the slide of the auxiliarymechanism tov the slide of the can advancing device, and the can slideshaving a plurality of can engaging members pivotally'mounted on theslides to advance the cans, the reciprocating slides of the sterilizerand auxiliary device being adapted to be guided by both the auxiliary`'support and the sterilizer support.

LESTER J. WILLIAMS.y

